Between Shadows

by Joanne Durann

  Miranda was startled by his loyalty, “You are my friend and I would never call you anything else. Please stand with me, but only if you want to, not because you have to. I want all of my friends next to me, and I should thank my father for sending you here, you have been a great friend.”

  She looked at her father and whispered a thank you, “Now that we are settled, what next? Does the general public get to question me? Or can we just go about our business?”

  “After that you are free to go like the rest of us, and more importantly, because you are Gage’s daughter most people will be nice to you. Once they get to know you they’ll be nice to because you are you, even if he is your father.” Carma made the statement at Gage’s expense but Gage knew it was true so he let it go.

  Sahen looked around; everyone looked tired and beat, “Since that is all over we should get some rest. There is a long journey ahead of us tomorrow and no one will be any help to Miranda if we are all sleepy.”

  “Oh no, sleeping arrangements, not again!” Carma was worried her brother would try to get his way this time because Gage was there.

  Miranda stepped in, “Carma, Jared and I will take care of this, it doesn’t affect your room. Why don’t Mattis and you go to bed and we’ll deal with one more place, it will be ok.”

  Dad, there is another mattress in the toy room, you could stay there, I knew it’s not what you’re use to but I am moving.” She said it with a smile he couldn’t resist, nodded and left with Jared to find the room.

  Miranda walked over to Mattis, “Just remember if you keep annoying her, she’ll stay with him out of spite, let her decide if he’s the one. She can also be the one to explain it to your dad, in front of me, of course.”

  Miranda yawned and stretched and headed for bed, Jared met her half way up the steps and they walked together knowing tomorrow would be the hardest day yet for them.

  They were alone in bed when she decided she should confess what she had done earlier in the day. “Jared, you know when I went upstairs and Carma and Mattis were in the kitchen, Sahen and Michael moved the minivan?” He nodded; she began again, “that was me. I wanted to give my dad and you some time alone. I didn’t ask everyone to leave, but when they did, I told them not to come back until I was ready for them to come back. I didn’t listen in but I did heighten to your feelings so I would know when to come back and to bring the others back.”

  “I wondered why it took so long for them to do what they were doing, and I did wonder if it was you and I also knew you would tell me if it was so I didn’t care. It was good and maybe I should thank you we got a lot out down there and now your dad is ok with our binding, as you can see he’s not going to stop us. I’m glad because I wanted to give him time to get use to the idea and I didn’t want him to be so angry that he wouldn’t perform the ceremony for us. I want him to be the one to do it; I hope you don’t mind, I think it’s just the right thing to do.” Jared looked at Miranda and smiled.

  “I agree, I wouldn’t have it any other way. If he accepts us than others have to, then maybe it will be easier for Sahen and Carma.”

  Miranda was always looking out for other people but for once these people also looked out for her.

  “I wouldn’t count on it you haven’t meet her father yet!” Jared laughed and hugged her, “now can we get some sleep?”

  Chapter 18

  It was a long walk back to the town and the Concillium where everyone met. The day was bright and sunny, the clouds were few and far between and the temperature was perfect, thanks to Fortuna. The day whole started perfect and Miranda was very pleased that Fortuna gave her such a nice welcome, it made her feel as if someone wasn’t going to judge her before they even met her.

  “I need to thank Fortuna when I see her, this couldn’t be more perfect, what a lovely thing to do for me and without even knowing me.”

  That gave Miranda something new to start to worry about, “I wonder when would be a good time to thank her, I don’t want to say it at the wrong time, I don’t even know what to say. How should I thank her? What would be appropriate? What do you think?”

  Miranda asked as she turned to look at her father, she accepted that her father knew more about the hybrids then Jared did and understood that he would be the right person to ask. It also helped her and her father’s new relationship because she needed him for something, and he wanted to feel needed.

  “You know what, I think” Gage smiled with the ideas of many thoughts running around his head, things he shouldn’t say but would like to say, but he settled on one, “I think you will know when the time is right, and you will also know exactly what the right thing to say is. That’s what I think.”

  As the group near the town, close friends and family showed up to greet them, and relayed messages of what had been going on since they left. Gage sent for his house workers and asked that the house be made ready for their return, there would be five people staying on the east wing, and he wanted everything to be perfect for Miranda. He knew it would be a long day for all of them and that Miranda would, if nothing else need time to herself to get her head together, when it was all through.

  Mattis and Carma’s parent’s showed up as they neared the town gates, they came up from behind the group, and they saw the Carma before the Carma saw them. Her father was not amused when he saw who his daughter was walking hand in hand with.

  “Carma, tell me about your friend here.” he bellowed as he was within only feet of them.

  He was a large man, strong and fierce looking, he had a presences about him that made you wonder if you were going to die. His hair was long and flowing, not white like Carma and Mattis; instead it was as black as night and his eyes were like coal. The anger on his face was apparent; he wasn’t going to hid his disapproval for even one second.

  “I told you they were coming.” Sahen answered only to Carma, as her brother scowled, and shot a glance of sheer frustration.

  Sahen turned to her parents, “I am Sahen, and I would like to introduce you to Miranda. She is the daughter of Gage and friend to all of us, especially Jared.”

  Sahen knew exactly what he was doing and Mattis knew it to. If Carma’s parents made any comments about mixing blood lines they would successfully anger Gage, Jared and Miranda, so he wanted to be sure he wasn’t to blame for any of it. He also knew that they would have to give Carma some room until they could find something wrong with him.

  “I would like you to understand the way things are here right now so you can be comfortable in talking to all of us.”

  Sahen didn’t use his normal smirk, he wanted them to have no reason not to like him, and it made Mattis sick because he knew how Sahen really was.

  “You must be Valeo; Carma has told me many great things about you.”

  He stuck out his hand to her father and bowed at the same time, he wanted to show a lot of respect from her parents.

  He continued on, “and this must be your lovely wife Emico, I can see where Carma gets her beauty from, it certainly runs in the family.”

  He gently kissed Emico’s hand and stared into her eyes. She had him at hello, she was using her power to change the situation to benefit her family, and she thought she could get Sahen to fall in love with her long enough for her to get rid of him, but it was no use Miranda was already working against her.

  She jumped into Sahen’s head and changed his thoughts, he thanked her for that, later he would also need help learning how to combat that part of her parent’s powers. He also wanted to make sure his feeling for Carma were all his own. Miranda smiled and he knew that meant she would help him.

  Emico was an incredibly beautiful woman and her charms worked well on all human men and most men of this world. She was almost six feet tall and was very slender, she fit next to the man she was with very well, her hair was the color white of her children’s hair and her eyes were the same stunning green. She had on a long flowing gown of emerald green that went well with her eyes and when she spoke it was so
ft and reassuring to everyone but Carma.

  “My dear Carma, I don’t understand how you can walk around in those clothes, you look like a man from behind.”

  Sahen stepped in quickly and without thinking, “My dear lady no one could ever say your daughter looks like a man.” He stopped himself short to add a better spin, “Especially because she has your beauty, they would have to blind to think this is a man,” he paused for a second, “if you would let me be so bold.”

  He bowed, knowing that he should have never jumped on the statement like that, the bow showed more respect then he needed to give in hopes to salvage the situation.

  “You can be thank you.” She bowed back and let him off the hook.

  To Miranda it was clear that Carma and her mother were already talking inside their heads and nothing was going to work if they bothered Sahen anymore. Her mother smiled took Carma’s hand in hers and then her father reached over to Carma for her other hand so they could walk with the group. They walked very close to Carma and left Sahen alone with Mattis for the rest of the trip and of course Sahen made the best of it. Little comments and digs about when Mattis was going to meet someone. Mattis again was not amused and he kept kicking and hitting at Sahen the rest of the way, they were like two little kids.

  It was at the gates of the town that Jared’s father and mother showed up. Miranda was very nervous; it was one thing to be in the same space as Kilaws, it was another thing to be meeting Jared’s mother. She hadn’t really thought about it, or even the fact that he had a mother, and it suddenly scared her to death.

  As they approached Miranda spotted his mother, she looked at Jared with a nervous anxiety.

  “What will she think of me?” She questioned Jared, “How will she like knowing that her son is with a Force? Gage’s daughter? Is she going to hate me for taking you away from your kind? How should I speak to her? Oh no what should I say or do?”

  Miranda was starting to panic which she had never done before, and that set her emotions off running, Carma and Jared were worried it was going to go wrong way to fast, they needed her to stay in control.

  Jared smiled and then laughed, “She has to meet the Concillium, knowing that two of them have been trying to kill her, and she’s worried about what my mother will think of her.”

  He was in a full laugh now and Gage, Michael and Sahen smacked him pretty hard over the head for it all at the same time. He looked over at Miranda, she looked as if she would either cry, or pass out.

  “What a human thing to do for such a powerful being.” He turned to his brother, “My mother already knows about you and about us. Michael please tell Miranda what happened the night we left for her house.”

  Michael smiled, “I guess we never mentioned any of that to you, did we? Well, anyway, when I went back to give them all of the news; what we were doing, were we were going, and my mother questioned me quite thoroughly.

  She wanted to know all about you, were you for real or were you playing with her “boy”. I hate when she does that,” he looked over at Jared, “Jared she always babies you. After I told her this was real and Jared was finally happy with something, all she wanted to know was what you looked, where you had been, your history, and did you want children after everything that happened to your former family.”

  Michael laughed, “Good luck with that one, my mother wants grandchildren in the worst way and I’m not giving her any, so you both are on your own.”

  Miranda smiled, “That’s the least of my worries right now, besides Jared and I haven’t discussed any of that, it’s a joint decision, and not one that I think can be rushed. The most important thing is that she doesn’t hate me for being with her son. I had that once already and I don’t want to go through that again.”

  Before any one could say anything more his parents were in front of her, “Miranda this is my mother, Aurum and of course, you already know my father Kilaws. My mother and father have been together for centuries and they live not far from here, with my brothers and sisters. I was the bad boy who moved out even when I wasn’t married.”

  Miranda bowed deeply and didn’t look up until Aurum bowed back to her. “She couldn’t be more perfect, Jared, you have finally made me proud.” She stared into Miranda’s eyes, obviously Kilaws had mention her powers to his mother, and she wanted Miranda to be ok with her as well.

  “I see you have not only a beautiful face but beautiful eyes as well.” She was trying to cover up the staring she had done with Miranda, “I hope you see that I am truly grateful for what you have been to my son and that we should be great company for one another.”

  “Ok mom, let it go, Miranda has quite a few more thing to go through before we can get that far.” Jared turned to Miranda, “Are you ready my love or do you need some time before we walk through the gates? Once we go through we need to keep walking and not stop until we get to the Concillium meeting room. Any sign of weakness could be trouble so you need to avoid that.”

  “I will be fine. I just need to do one thing,” She turned to the four new people who were in her company, “If you would be so kind, I would like to ask you all to accompany us on the podium after the meeting, when I am introduced to the people. If not it is ok, I do understand some things that go on here, I know this could be dangerous to you and your families.” She turned to Aurum, “Would you hold my hand until we get to the meeting room? It would make me feel better knowing you are with me, especially when Jared, Carma and I go in alone.”

  “It would be an honor.” She turned to Jared, “You don’t mind do you, Jared? You will be with her through it all and I would like to walk my daughter-in-law to be as far as I can.”

  His mother had the same smile on her face that she gave him when he left to do the job that brought him here. It all seemed like a full and complete circle. All he wanted now was for them to get along; this was something his mother hadn’t done with any of his wives, but only because she always knew he wasn’t fully happy.

  Jared turned to Miranda and smile, “Here we go. Don’t worry we are all with you all the way and I won’t let anyone near you.”

  Before they started too walked through the gates, he grabbed her quickly and kissed her, looked into her eyes and said, “I will lay my life down for you believe me.” He gave her hand a small squeeze and put it into her mother’s hand.

  Miranda smiled, her heart was warm, never had she been as loved as she had felt today. As they walked through the gates people gawked and stared, but she held her head up high, because she knew this was her land and her time. She had become one of them even before they knew about her and before she knew about them.

  “Daddy, how long until we are at the Concillium? I can’t wait to get started and meet everyone.”

  Her words were strange to all of the people who heard them, even the group she was with wondered how she could be so brave, but Miranda knew this wasn’t how she was going to die. She had a secret that even Jared didn’t know, this morning as she got ready she looked into her eyes and looked at her death, and it wasn’t there. The wall had an empty space behind it, her death had disappeared when she met her father and Jared, and she was finally free.

  “We are going to the building in the center of town. We should be there very soon and the meeting shouldn’t last too long, maybe forty minutes. After that you will be officially introduced to the people and that only takes another ten minutes, then we can go home. I want everyone here to know that they are all welcome to come back to our house to celebrate and eat, the place has been prepared for all of you.”

  Gage hasn’t had a party at his house in a very long time, and he relished in the idea that people would be joining him again. It was especially wonderful that he would be celebrating the return of his daughter with them. “I would like everyone to be there, so please get your families and come.”

  Jared grimaced at the thought of all his brothers and sisters running up to Miranda asking her questions.

  “Does my entire family have
to be there? Can we give Miranda a little break? She will be going through a lot today and I know what they will put her through.”

  Aurum spoke up, “Jared, your brothers and sisters can stay home this time. I agree it wouldn’t be fair to do that to Miranda or you, at least not today. Miranda would that be ok with you and your father if just Kilaws and I come today, trust me the others will be around soon enough and you’ll be glad you had this time without them.

  As they walked through town the glares were a mix of fear and jealousy. They came upon a two story building made completely of brick, and the windows were a stain glass, and door was made of century’s old oak. The building was beautiful and Miranda was completely in awe of it. They lead her into a doorway with two passages, one to the left that lead out to a sitting area near the podium and one to the right, which lead to the meeting room.

  “This is where we part company my dear, I must go ahead of you into the meeting room or they will consider me one of your guests.”

  Gage kissed Miranda, hugged her and turned to Jared, “take care of my daughter; I would be lost without her.”

  He looked back at Miranda, “I can’t treat you like my family, I have to let them question you like they would anyone else, I hope you can understand that. That’s why Jared and Carma will be with you, they are going to be your support and help, so lean on them, you want to look a little weak just not helpless.”

  “Don’t worry sir, Miranda and I have spoken a lot about this day and what they will expect from her. We also have been working on a plan of action when it comes to our friends in there and how we are going to handle them. I think she is as prepared as she can be.”

  With that Gage left them and went into the meeting room. Jared and Miranda took each other’s hand and waited patiently to be call in to the meeting room. Within minutes they waved goodbye to everyone and they walked into the room together hand in hand with Jared on the right and Carma to her left.